Platform-scale



E. SAMPSON. PLATFORM SCALE.

No. 11,388. Patented July 25, 1854.

. i lg- E [1%] as Q P s fig Q E 6 Q Q PM N N i Q fig w 1 Q Q a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELNATHAN SAMPSON, OF WVINDSOR. VERMONT.

PLATFORM-SCALE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,388, dated July 25, 1854.

T 0 all whom-2'15 may concern Be it known that I, ELNATHAN SAMPSON, of WVindsor, in the county of lVindsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Platform-Scales; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, Figure 1 being a view of the under side of the platform frame detached from its supports; Fig. 2, an end view of the scale; Fig. 3, a transverse section through the line w a: of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a side view of the scale, and Fig. 5 a view of a portion of the scale detached. I

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The principal feature of my invention consists in supporting the plat-form upon a series of short levers which extend transversely from the sides of the platform to near the center of the same, and are there connected to a laterally vibrating lever which extends the whole length of the platform, and is connected to the scale beam; which arrangement enables me to avoid the use of trussed levers in constructing scales of the largest size, and consequently enables me to make this description of scales portable, or in such a manner that no pit, or depression, is necessary in putting one of them up for use,which has never been done before.

The second feature of my invention consists in the peculiar manner of connecting the platform to the series of transverse levers: viz: by means of stirrups (5,) which have doubly concave auxiliary blocks (7a,) inserted between the bearing edges of the pivots in the levers and the bearing edges of said stirrups, which gives free lateral and longitudinal motion to the platform with out injury to the sharp bearing edges.

The accompanying drawings. represent a rail road scale; the rails 2., 25, are secured to a platform frame composed of the connected side pieces A, A, and D, D, the end pieces B, B, and the transverse pieces C, C, united to each other substantially as represented in the drawings. The base of the scale may be constructed of pieces of timber Q, Q, and R, R, of suitable size and number, framed together in any well known or usual manner. The said base of the scale may be so constructed as to be portable, or otherwise. A suitable number of supporting side and. central posts h, h, it, rise from the base of the scale, for the reception of the levers which suspend the platform. The outer ends of the transverse levers G, G, are suspended to the series of outer posts 71., h, in the following manner: viz: a sharp edged pivot 11., passes through an opening in the outer end of each lever, and rests in a concave in the top of the post, embraced by said opening, as represented in Fig. 3. The inner ends of said transverse levers, are con'-. nected to the laterally vibrating longitudinal lever E, by means of the links Z, Z, which connect sharp edged pivots in the inner ends of said levers, to similar pivots located in the said longitudinal lever, as shown in Fig. 3; the said pivots being exactly in a longitudinal line with each other, as shown in Fig. 1. The longitudinal lever E, is suspended to the series of central posts it, h, by means of the sharp edged pivots m, m, that are arranged in a longitudinal line with each other, (as in Fig. 1,) and rest in concavities in the heads of the posts, as shown in Fig. 3. a

A short distance inside of the bearing pivot n, in the outer end of each of the transverse levers Gr, there passes through the elongated opening of each lever, a sharp edged pivot s,as shown in Fig. 3; to which series of pivots the platform is suspended by means of the stirrups i, the intermediate bearing blocks 70, and the sharp edged pivots s, and 0, arranged as represented in Figs. 3, and 5: viz: each block 70, fits loosely into the opening in a stirrup 2', with the under concave edge thereof resting upon the edge of the pivot s, and the edge of the cross bar of the stirrup resting in the concavity in the upper edge of said block; an opening in the shank of each stirrup, at right angles to F, F, are combined levers, which are connected to the longitudinal lever E, and project out laterally beyond the side of the base of the scale a sufficient distance to allow of their being connected to the scale beam in any suitable manner.

WVhen weight is placed upon the platform, it imparts motion to the combined levers F, F, through the medium of the transverse levers G, Gr, and the laterally vibrating longitudinal lever E, in the most sensitively accurate manner, as Will readily be perceived by referring to Fig. 3, of the drawnigs. It will also be readily perceived, that all the longitudinally vibrating levers are so short, that they Will not be required to be trussed to give them the requisite stiffness; which will produce a very great saving in the amount of material required for the levers, and also enable the largest sized scale to be put up and operated Without a pit; or in other words, to be portable; thereby producing a very great saving of expense in putting up and operating a large sized scale.

lVhen hay or Wagon scales are construct-.

ed upon my plan, the platform frame must be planked over, and be of suitable width to receive the description of wagons or carts to be Weighed.

Having thus fully described my improved platform scale, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the short longitudinally vibrating levers G, G, with the laterally vibrating longitudinal lever E, by which I am enabled to construct scales of the largest size, without using trussed levers, substantialy as herein set forth.

2. I also claim the combination of the platform with the beam actuating double lever F, or its equivalent, through the medium of the longitudinally vibrating levers G, G, and the laterally vibrating lever E, substantially in the manner herein set forth.

3. I also claim inserting a doubly concave intermediate block 70, within the opening of each stirrup i, between the sharp edge of the cross bar of the stirrup and the edge of the lever pivot s, at right angles therewith, for the purpose of enabling the platform to swing freely, in a lateral and a longitudinal direction, without injury to said sharp bearing edges substantially as herein set forth.

The above specification of my improved portable platform scale, signed and witnessed this 24th day of May 1854.

ELNATHAN SAMPSON. l/Vitnesses Z. G. ROBBINS, J. S. BROWN. 

